Transitions in Life

Transition - Change - Getting out of the box - Stretching our comfort zone.  All things we mere humans tend to resist whether we admit it or not.  We are creatures of habit, and anything that interrupts the status quo is generally an unwelcome event.  But our never changing, ever changing God always has something new for us. Ecclesiasties chapter 3 says there is a right time for everything, and as you read this wonderful list you cannot help but see that change is a natural part of life.

Currently our church is going through the transition form one pastor to another.  For some it is a catastrophic time, a time of upheaval and uncertainty; for others perhaps a time of confusion about who's in charge now; and there are others who have been through it before, and understand and believe that God is not surprised, He has a plan already in place, and He is still in control, and that makes it an exciting time.

There are some who believe a pastor should settle in and never move on, but is that really the best thing?  Just as there are times and seasons in our lives, there are also times and seasons in the life of the church.  A pastor may come in for a season to guide the church into making needed changes.  Another may come for another season to continue the process.  If the church remains unchanged, it will soon find itself out of touch and maybe even out of business.  Just as we go through changes in our individual lives that occur naturally, we should keep in mind that the church needs to adapt and evolve in much the same way.  To remain relevant in our culture, transition is necessarily inevitable.  If we resist it (and we can) we will find ourselves out of date and wondering what happened.  The right pastor at the right time will help to keep us on track.

So welcome change.  Thrive on transition.  Let's get out of that comfortable little box we have settled into and grow into new and bigger comfort zones.  Are you really doing all that God has intended for you to do?  It may be time to make a change.  There is a great big world out there full of unloved and unsaved people that we have a responsibility to reach.  To be successful in this task, we must be willing to change in order to remain relevant.  Change is the key to relevancy, and we must embrace it with vigor.  I once had a boss who shared a little poem that I have never forgotten that seems rather appropriate for this time:

Everything changes,

A little as it should.

Good ain't forever, 

And bad ain't for good.

Simple but true.  Good things won't last forever, but neither will bad things.

Be blessed till next time,

Bob